Members of the Parents Association of Andhra Pradesh (PAAP) on January 24 (Friday) demanded a detailed probe into the death of a student of Narayana Junior College at Somaladoddi in Anantapur.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, association State president N. Srikaram, general secretary G. Eshwarayya and honorary president M. Kota Reddy urged the government to cancel the college’s permission and initiate strict action against the management. They also demanded strict measures against private junior college managements pressurising students for fee payment.
Citing cases of junior colleges operating from apartments without basic infrastructure and safety facilities, in violation of the norms laid down by the Board of Intermediate Education, the association demanded immediate action against officials who had granted permission to such institutions.
Instances of private junior college managements exerting undue pressure on financially disadvantaged students, who were waiting for grant of fee reimbursement, for fee payment were on the rise, the association members said and called for action against such colleges.
SFI seeks action
Leaders of the Student Federation of India (SFI) have also demanded stringent action against corporate educational institutions found to be harassing students for payment of fees.
In a statement, federation State president K. Prasanna Kumar and secretary E. Ashok cited a recent incident at Chaitanya college’s Goshala campus, where a student, who had returned from Sankranti holidays, was denied entry into the campus unless he paid the fees. The situation forced the student and his father to stage a protest outside the campus at midnight, after which he was allowed inside.
They expressed grief over Thursday’s incident at Narayana College in Anantapur in which Charan, the student who could not pay fees and was made to stand for hours, jumped from the third floor of the building to his death.
They criticised Minister for Human Resource Development Nara Lokesh for remaining silent over the “rampant exploitation of students in corporate educational institutions”. They also questioned the silence of Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan who had expressed concern over student deaths in corporate institutions before the elections and had promised action against such managements.
Published – January 25, 2025 08:29 am IST